May 31, 2008

"Any dance of celebration must weave both the sorrows and the blessings into a joyful step....To heal is to let the Holy Spirit call me to dance, to believe again, even amid my pain, that God will orchestrate and guide my life."

May 29, 2008

We know from a
flash-forward in Season 3 that someone Jack and Kate know has died; we
see Jack at the funeral home with the closed casket. Theories on who's
in the coffin range from Sawyer (because his real name is James and a
newspaper clipping Jack's holding, presumably about the deceased, has a
name that starts with J) to Michael to Juliet to Ben (because the
coffin's short and he has no known family, which could explain the lack
of mourners) or even the mysterious Jacob (see question 3). Executive
producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have reportedly said that the
dead person is someone who was introduced to viewers before Season 4.

2. What happened to Claire?

Since
she followed her supposedly dead father into the jungle in the middle
of the night, disappearing and leaving baby Aaron behind, Claire has
also turned up in Jacob's cabin. When a surprised and concerned Locke
finds her there with Christian (her and Jack's father), she tells him
not to worry, she's fine. Some people theorize that Claire was already
dead before leaving the Others' encampment, having been blown up by the
Freighter People in her house.

3. Who is Jacob, exactly?

Said
to be the leader of the Others, Jacob is first introduced in Season 3
as an invisible presence in a rocking chair in a cabin in the jungle, a
voice that tells Locke "Help Me" and a force that shakes the cabin and
scares the heck out of Locke. Hurley has his own creepy run-in with
Jacob in Season 4 after stumbling across the cabin and seeing a shadowy
figure in a chair through the window and then a man in the window. Some
theorize Jacob doesn't exist and is a Wizard of Oz-like
invention of Ben's. Other theories: he's the smoke monster; he's the
Other known as Richard Alpert; he's Charles Widmore or (this one's
really out there) he's Jack.

4. What will happen to Jin?

As
far as we know, Jin's dead. We've seen Sun, in a flash-forward, visit
his grave. And we've seen Sun tell her bully of a father that she holds
him and another person responsible for Jin's death. But the date of
death on Jin's tombstone, Sept. 22, 2004, the same date as the Oceanic
815 crash, has led to speculation Jin is still alive on the island.

5. Where and how are Ben and Locke going to move the island?

Locke
goes to Jacob to find a way to keep the Freighter People from killing
everyone on the island. The surprising answer: "He wants us to move the
island." In a flash-forward, Ben tells Widmore that he'll never find
the island, suggesting it was successfully moved. On its website, Popular Mechanics magazine
theorizes the island could be moved through quantum teleportation, or
the island's electromagnetic properties and something called the
Casimir Effect opening a transversible wormhole.

To My Surprise, "In the Mood" This self-titled side project of
Slipknot's Shawn Crahan was released in 2003 and was
never heard from again. But with "In the Mood," they scored double
trouble: A smoking metal tune and a classic animated video skewering
media, tech and apathy. (HT: Wired)

May 28, 2008

To join us, do a post today about Arts/Culture, put a link in your post
to this post permalink (not my general URL) and then put the permalink
of your post (not your general URL) here at the end of this post.
Thanks.

Join me around the watercooler today and each Wednesday...

WCW- Your Favorite Restaurant

I am what can be described as a "foodie". The combination of great culinary art, fine drink and great conversation with friends provide "moments" to be cherished forever.

This past week I enjoyed one of the two greatest dining experiences of my life at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. Thomas Keller has created a masterpiece of ambiance, culinary delight and customer service. It was a nine course experience of the highest gastronomical order.

My other top dining experience was at a Moroccan style chef's table with owner/chef Barclay Dodge at Mogodor Restaurant in Aspen, Colorado. Unfortunately, that restaurant is now closed.

The issue of whether time and technology have passed the professional
critic by is being heatedly debated across all cultural genres. "The
culprit is none other than ... cultural studies! By treating literature
as an impersonal text from which any manner of political meaning can be
wrung, cultural studies professors have robbed criticism of its proper
evaluative function -- the right to say this is good, this isn't, and
here's why."

Have bloggers hastened the demise? Read more of this fascinating article HERE

May 26, 2008

May 25, 2008

We began the unusual rainy California day with a founders legacy VIP tour at Beringer Estates owned by conglomerate Foster's. Our host Marisa was unbelievable and provided great information about the nuances of wine tasting. The tour concluded with a tasting in a magical ancient cave. The wines, unlike the host, were average.

We traveled next to Ehlers Estate for a spectacular lunch on the porch of the Ehlers guest house prepared by Dan & Joy Perkins in celebration of my birthday and in honor of my friends.The meal was sumptuous and complemented by a very good Ehlers Sauvignon Blanc followed by their exquisite Merlot. At my request, Dan regaled us with stories about his pastorate, his seven Ironman Triathlons and his favorite wines. It was a very special time. After lunch, we tasted a spectacular Cabernet Franc and a wonderful Cabernet. Maria was our charismatic host and the organic wines embody the passion of winemaker Rudy Zuidema.

We then were off to a VIP tasting at Opus One which is now owned by conglomerate Constellation. The building and cellars are magnificent. The wine is good and we were treated like royalty. A special way to end our four days in Napa. We remarked that the Opus One vintages that we have tasted before 2000 were excellent, while the wine today (admittedly young) was average and certainly not worth the $185. per bottle price tag. David Kemp and I are pictured in the Opus One cellar.

We completed our day with a wonderful meal at Brix. The food was outstanding, the service, though courteous, was suspect.

A wrap-up complete with lots of photos and wine tasting and food recommendations for your next trip to Napa Tuesday.

May 24, 2008

The morning started at Saddleback Vineyards with an outdoor tasting in the vineyard. We chatted with award winning owner/winemaker Nils Venge and marveled at the Marsanne wine, Scarlett's Rose and the Merlot.

Then on to one of the two finest culinary experiences of my life. A four hour dining experience at the French Laundry with gastronomic delights in every course. Chris, David, Rhonda, Johnny, Glynda and I were joined by wine maker Mike Hendry and his fiancee Molly. A tremendous time. All fresh ingredients and artistic creations by chef extraordinaire Thomas Keller. Highlights included heart of veal with white asparagus, brooks cherries, garden mache and Nicoise olive "paint"; Moulard Duck foie gras, granny smith apples, pine nuts, pickled ramps, watercress and toasted brioche; and a sauteed filet of pacific Kahala, sunchokes, broccolini, marcona almonds and vanilla-scented uni emulsion. I chose a Schramsberg Blanc on Blanc Sparking wine for starters, then Mike chose a Spanish Albarino and a Coya Napa Malbec to complement the exquisite meal.

Next we were off to Miner Family Wines for a tasting, tour and a trip to the caves to taste the Gary's Pinot. Steve and Mandy hosted us like royalty. Favorites included the 2006 Wild Yeast Chardonnay, the 2004 Oracle Red Table Wine and the 2006 Viognier.

And to top off a perfect day, we went back to the Hendry Ranch guest cottage and I prepared from scratch Veal & Spinach Cannelloni and a dessert of Breyer's Vanilla bean ice cream topped with fresh strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette. Mike and Molly came bearing gifts of a magnum of 2000 Hendry Block 8 Cabernet, a 1999 Hendry Pinot Noir, and a 2001 Primotivo.

What an day of stimulating conversation, friends, food and wine. Extraordinary!